15 October 2021, Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church
Friday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Rom 4:1-8
Ps 32
Lk 12:1-7
All the passages of the Liturgy of the Word emphasize the importance of faith whereby man is justified by God through a justice that immensely surpasses human works.
A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due.
But when one does not work, yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. So also David declares the blessedness of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record.” (Rom 4:4-8)
The psalm that St. Paul used in his argument is Psalm 32; it proclaims salvation’s absolute gratuitousness, but requires of those who receive it the confession of sin and loving trust. This is true faith:
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you just; exult, all you upright of heart.
And it is authentic faith that Jesus preaches to the crowds that gather around him: not the hypocrisy of the Pharisees who expect to save themselves on their own by unlawfully multiplying precepts. True faith implies righteousness in action and full trust in God who also takes care of the sparrows and even counts the hair on the heads of his children. As Jesus addresses his listeners, those whom he affectionately calls “his friends”, he does not pretend to hide the possibility of suffering or even martyrdom from them, but asks for them to resist sin and abandon themselves in trust to God's providence.
At that time: So many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.” There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”
The saint remembered today, Saint Teresa of Avila, perfectly embodies the faith that Jesus requires of his friends, unfettered and full of amazement. A faith made out of trust, humility, and security in Providence. Reformer of Carmel, together with St. John of the Cross, Teresa personally founded 18 convents. Upon her death, the reform counted numerous monasteries, hundreds of nuns and just as many male foundations with an even higher number of friars.
The missionary yearning is the foundation of the reform carried out by St. Teresa and its extraordinary diffusion. Teresa was in fact convinced that the radicalism of monastic life is in itself a form of evangelization: the prayer of the communities, members’ mutual love and their joy are “good news”, presented without many words, but visible, which impacts those who come into contact with monasteries. The saint wanted to sow new tabernacles everywhere and populate her houses with people who would experience adoration of God and brotherly love in its fullness. Her book: “The Foundations”, of which we present a few pages, gives us an idea of the missionary spirit of this great and very humble founder:
After four years, or it may be a little more, a religious of the Order of St. Francis came to see me: his name was Alfonso Maldonado, a great servant of God, having the same desires as myself for the good of souls; but he was able to accomplish them, for which I envied him extremely. As he had not long come from India, he began to tell me how many millions of souls were lost there, for want of instruction, and he gave us a sermon on the subject, exhorting us to do penance, and then departed. I became so distressed at the loss of so many souls that I could not contain myself: and I went to one of our hermitages, and there, with many tears, cried to our Lord, beseeching Him to give me the means whereby I might be able to gain some souls to His service, since the devil carried away so many, and that my prayers might be of some avail, for I was good for nothing more myself. I envied those greatly, who for the love of God were able to spend themselves in this work, though they should suffer a thousand deaths; and thus it happens, that when we read in the Lives of the Saints, how they converted souls, this excites within me more devotion, more tenderness and envy, than all the martyrdoms they suffered; and this is a feeling our Lord has given me, thus showing me that He values one soul which gain through His mercy by our prayers more than all the services we can do Him. (Book of the Foundations 1:7).
[Our general father] was very pleased to see our way of living, which was an imperfect image of our Order as its commencement, and how the primitive rule was observed in all its rigor, which was not the case in any other monastery of the whole Order. As he had a great desire that this beginning should go forward, he gave me several letters patent for the erection of more monasteries, with an injunction that none of the Provincials should prevent me. These letters I did not ask of him since he knew my manner of proceeding in prayer, and the great desire I had to be the means of enabling souls to approach nearer to God.
But these means I procured not from him; rather it appeared to me madness, because I well knew that a worthless woman like myself, and without any power, could do nothing. But when these desires come into the soul, it is not to please God, and her confidence in Him, His Divine Majesty makes that possible, which to natural reason is not so. Thus when I saw the great desire our very reverend Father General had, that more monasteries should be founded, it seemed as if I saw them already established; and. remembering the words our Lord had spoken to me, I now perceive some beginning of that which before I could not understand. […]. A few days after, when I considered how necessary it was that, if I erected convents for nuns, there should also be some monasteries for men observing the same rule; and seeing how few there were in this province, after having earnestly recommended the matter to our Lord, I wrote a letter to our Father General entreating him as well as I could to be favorable, and giving him reasons to prove what great honor would result therefrom to God; and at the same time showing that the inconveniences which might happen were not sufficient to give up so good a work: I likewise placed before him the honor our Blessed Lady would derive from it, to whom he was exceedingly devout. She it was who must advanced this object; for the Father General having received my sister when he was at Valencia, sent me, from thence a license to found two monasteries […].
Being now very much consoled by having obtained the license, I was the more troubled because there were no friars in the province that I could hear of, to begin the work, nor any secular willing to make a beginning: in this difficulty I could do nothing but beseech our Lord, that He would be pleased to raise up one person at least.. I had neither house, nor means to purchase one. Behold here a poor barefooted nun, without the support of anyone, but our Lord, furnished with plenty of letters and good desires, without any possibility of putting them in execution. But neither my courage nor confidence failed me; for when I considered that our Lord having granted one thing, would certainly grant the other, then everything appeared to me possible, and so I began to set to work.
Oh, greatness of God, how do you show your power by giving courage to such an ant! And O, my Lord! What great things would You not do for those who love You, but our cowardice and fears are in the way, because we never resolve but when full of a thousand apprehensions and human considerations! And you, O my God! You displays not your wonders and greatness! Who is more disposed to give, were there any to receive? Who more willing to accept our services at our own charge, that You? May it be that I have done your Majesty some service, and not rather have the greater account to give for all that I have received!. (Book of the Foundations 2:3-7).
For frequently, when carrying on these Foundations, I found myself seized with so much sickness and so many pains, that I was so much oppressed thereby, and thought I could not even remain in my cell, without keeping my bed: and then I turned to my Savior, complaining to His Majesty, and asking “Why he wished me to do more that I was able.” But afterwards (though with much labor) our Lord gave me strength, and with the fervor and solicitude with which He filled me, me thought I had forgot myself.
As well as I can remember, I never omitted a Foundation, through fear of the labor, though I felt great repugnance to the journeys (especially long ones), but when once I began them, they appeared inconsiderable, seeing as I did for whose sake they were undertaken, and that God in every house was to be praised, and the Most Blessed Sacrament venerated. (Book of the Foundations 17:4-5).